Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) Johannes Kepler was born in Weil-der-stadt, Germany, and lived from 1571-1630. Kepler was the first scientist ever to correctly explain the laws of planetary motion, which is shown in his works Astronomia nova,Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican Astronomy. With his laws of planetary motion, he became founder of celestial mechanics. Kepler also earned the title of founder of modern optics based on the work he did in his book Astronomia Pars Optica. Other breakthroughs that Johannes Kepler made were that he discovered logarithms based on mathematics, he discovered the exact year of of Christ's birth, and he found that the tides were influenced by the moon. Overall, Johannes Kepler made many scientific discoveries that still influence people today.
December 27, 1557- Kepler was born in Weil der Stradt, Germany
1589- Kepler attended the University of Tübingen to study theology, philosophy, mathematics, and astronomy
1591- Kepler graduated from Tübingen University
1601- Kepler took the spot of court astronomer and imperial mathematician in Prague to Emperor Rudolph ll
1604- Johannes Kepler's book explaining astronomy was released, called Astronomia pars Optima
1609- Astronomia Nova was published, which introduced Kepler's first two laws of planetary motion
1611- Kepler's book Dioptrice was introduced, explaining his theory about the telescope
1619- Kepler published Harmonice Mundi, introducing his third law of planetary motion
1621- Epitome Astronomiae Copernicanae was published, introducing heliocentric astronomy
November 13 1630- Kepler died in Regensburg, Germany
Johannes Kepler Quotes
"Geometry is unique and eternal, a reflection from the mind of God. That mankind shares in it is because man is an image of God."
"I believe it was by divine ordinance that I obtained by chance that which previously I could not reach by any pains; I believe that so much the more readily because I had always prayed to God to let my plan succeed, if Copernicus had told the true." (Kepler said this on his laws of planetary motion, which were based on the Copernican system.)
"The chief aim of all investigations of the external world should be to discover the rational order and harmony which has been imposed on it by God and which He revealed to us in the language of mathematics."
"The Earth is round, and is inhabited on all sides, is insignificantly small, and is borne through the stars."
"Nature uses as little as possible of anything."
Through all of these quotes, we can see the complex ideas and beliefs that went through Kepler's mind
Interesting Facts About Kepler
Kepler was given the name of the founder of modern optics by devising the eyeglass for farsightedness and nearsightedness, as well as inventing the Keplerian Telescope, which was an enhanced version of the refracting telescope.
Kepler’s books Astronomia Nova, Epitome of Copernican Astronomy and Harmonices Mundi influenced Sir Isaac Newton's theory of gravity.
His book Stereometrica Doliorum made for the creation of integral calculus.
After the death of his mentor Tycho Brahe, Kepler took the spot of court astronomer and imperial mathematician in Prague in 1601, to Emperor Rudolph ll.
Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)Johannes Kepler was born in Weil-der-stadt, Germany, and lived from 1571-1630. Kepler was the first scientist ever to correctly explain the laws of planetary motion, which is shown in his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican Astronomy. With his laws of planetary motion, he became founder of celestial mechanics. Kepler also earned the title of founder of modern optics based on the work he did in his book Astronomia Pars Optica. Other breakthroughs that Johannes Kepler made were that he discovered logarithms based on mathematics, he discovered the exact year of of Christ's birth, and he found that the tides were influenced by the moon. Overall, Johannes Kepler made many scientific discoveries that still influence people today.
Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
First Law: The orbit of a planet around the sun is an ellipse with the sun's center of mass at one focus.
Second Law: A line joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas and equal distances of time.
Third Law: The squares of the periods of the planets are proportional to the cubes of their semi-major axes.
Timeline of Kepler's life
Johannes Kepler Quotes
Through all of these quotes, we can see the complex ideas and beliefs that went through Kepler's mind
Interesting Facts About Kepler
Sources
http://www.thocp.net/biographies/kepler_johannes.htm
http://www.brighthub.com/science/space/articles/40406.aspx
http://www.johanneskepler.com/
http://kepler.nasa.gov/Mission/JohannesKepler/